Locals & developers work together on inner-city project

Community members who oppose planning projects aren’t trying to be difficult, they just want to be heard.

In the Melbourne inner-city suburb of Clifton Hill, where the streets are lined with old trees and heritage homes, it’s easy to see why residents can get defensive when developers show up at auctions.

The developers who acquired the site at 122 Roseneath St, where property sales begin Saturday, were initially prepared for some backlash. What they didn’t expect was full support from their objectors after consulting – in person – with the community.

Clifton Hill – an inner-city community

Equally urban and green, Clifton Hill is something of an anomaly in inner Melbourne.

With bike trails, footy ovals and wide streets not far from parks, it’s easy to forget the built-up hipster’s paradise of Fitzroy is nearby.

Ramsden Street Reserve in Clifton Hill.

Unlike its neighbour, older residents defined as maturing and established independents make up a 21.7% of the population, realestate.com.au demographic data shows. In Fitzroy, 35% of residents are classified as young independents.

There are also fewer renters in Clifton Hill and therefore a less transient population. Many of those who buy in Clifton Hill are in it for the long haul.

New developers on the block

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Roseneath development

Residential development remains a commercial reality in the inner-city and at four kilometres from the CBD, most of Clifton Hill has been zoned high density.

When the Roseneath St site sold the developers asked locals for their opinion on the plans before the 21-day period began for any objections.

Development partners Assemble, Wulff Projects and Icon Co consulted with the community first, before applying for a planning permit.

“Very early days before we’d even lodged our town planning application, we’d acquired the site and there was an existing planning application (for the site). There had been a number of objections to the plan so we sought out those who opposed and sat down with them and discussed the things they didn’t like about the previous application and what they’d like to see in a new application. This was before the architect had even put pen to paper,” says Wulff Projects director Adam Wuff.

The developers continued to welcome community feedback after the planning permit was passed and used the suggestions from locals to drive elements of the building’s design.

“They (Clifton Hill residents) wanted to see more communally accessible landscaping, a diversity of dwelling types and some sort of cafe or grocery store,” Wulff says.

The apartments have been designed around flexible open spaces, including a communal room for dining and entertaining, and two linear parks that connect the three buildings. The parks are nine metres wide and sit above pedestrian level, but are accessible to the public.

The raised linear parks, seen here in an artist’s impression of the site, will offer residents a place to sit and congregate with their neighbours.

To target the diverse demographic make-up of Clifton Hill, the complex includes a range of properties from studio apartments to three-bedroom townhouses.

“Creating that balance of product will lead to a diverse mix of people and community,” Assemble director Guisseppe Demaio says.

These ideas sprung from community meetings with locals that also led to some design compromises being made.

“We’re very much aware that Clifton hill has a very community feel, we’re trying very hard to create a project that has a little community too.”

Good for the community, good for sales?

By opening the lines of communication with the neighbours, Assemble, Wulff and Icon Co were able to tap into the community and build a better product for potential residents.

Buyers in Clifton Hill are attracted to the area’s community and lifestyle, which the project seeks to address.

Plus the developers avoided the expense of planning disputes and put the money saved into the design through the linear park and community room.

“We ended up not having to go to VCAT (Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal) which was a fantastic outcome and we all thought that was coming out of that compromise and consultation,” Wulff says.

For this project, consulting the community early on seems to have paid off. Sales for properties within the development begin Saturday.

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